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| Gaura A candidate for the SPSH (10. A White Flower(s)) |
Thank you, everyone, for your kind comments about acquiring a bookcase as well as other bits and pieces when I am supposed to be decluttering!
Today, I was able to schedule and receive my latest Covid-19 booster shot! I called the pharmacy in the morning and I was given a different number to call to schedule the appointment. But, I went online, instead, and scheduled it. The pharmacy closest to my house, where I had received some of the previous booster shots, had several openings available for today, starting from 2:00 p.m. and I took the 2:00 p.m. appointment.
I was at the pharmacy with 10 minutes to spare before my appointed time, but, there was a short wait before the pharmacist called me in. I looked through a couple of magazines while I waited. One was about houseplants and the other was about decorating with flea market/thrift store finds! There weren't many people wearing masks in the pharmacy, not even the pharmacist or the other pharmacy staff, although the signs about the mask requirements were still up!
The vaccination, itself, went well. I waited in the store for about 10 minutes, afterwards, looking at things and debating if I wanted to buy any snacks. Before I went, I thought I might buy a bag of potato chips and maybe a bar of chocolate. Well, the smallest bag of potato chips was $2.59 and the chocolates were $3.99 and up! The bigger bags of potato chips were $5.99. I looked at their boxes of microwave popcorn and they were $5.99 for 6 bags (for an off-brand; $6.50 for a name brand). I didn't buy anything from the pharmacy.
After I left the pharmacy, I decided to take my chances and went into the dollar store next door! It's the first time I've been to a dollar store or any other store besides the pharmacy and the convenience store at the gas station when I'd go in to pay for gas, since the first Covid lockdown! I didn't spend much time looking around, but, rather, went to the snacks section. Potato chips were still priced over $4.00 and I didn't look for chocolates. Instead, I bought two boxes of microwave popcorn (3 bags per box) for $1.49 per box and two packets of thin spaghetti for $.99 per 24 oz. package. I spent $5 at the dollar store! It comes out of the June grocery budget.
After I came home, I microwaved one of the packets of popcorn and ate that for brunch! Yes, I ate the whole bag! It was the first time I've had popcorn in over a year!
I picked more blueberries, today, and brought in the trash cans. I had ordered a box of hanging file folders along with some other items (a roll of parchment paper, a role of clingwrap, some small trash can liners, some cupcake/muffin liners, a six-pack of new undies, and four cans of Dancer's favorite tuna) over the weekend and they arrived today. I am now able to start on the new filing cabinet!
I relaxed during the rest of the afternoon and evening, replied to blog comments and watched the news on TV.
I browned a package of ground turkey I had in the freezer and added a can of spaghetti sauce to it and boiled some spaghetti for dinner. There are leftovers for tomorrow. I had a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
It has been a rather cool day, today, and it rained a little bit in the night. I am all bundled up and later, I put the main heater on for a little bit, just to get the chill off. So far, I am feeling OK after the booster; just a little tired. I'll have a relatively early night, I think, and start on the filing, tomorrow.
Today, I am grateful for:
- The availability of vaccines and boosters
- Medical insurance
- A safe drive to the pharmacy and back
- More blueberries!
- Working appliances
Today's joyful activity was venturing into a store to do some shopping in person! I will still continue to order my groceries for pick up, however!
Plans for tomorrow (Wednesday) include tending to the garden with M and paying the water/electricity and gas bills.
How was your Tuesday? What are your plans for Wednesday?
Very pretty white flowers - a perfect candidate for the SPSH. Even the dollar stores are all raising their prices, I doubt we could find anything for just a dollar anymore. Good deal on the popcorn.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary-Lou. I saw all kinds of pot holes, too, yesterday, but, I was driving on one of the main roads and didn't want to stop the car to take photos!
DeleteYes, even the dollar stores have raised their prices! I was surprised to see the 24 oz. packages of pasta still priced at $1. The popcorn was a good deal, wasn't it?
Everywhere I go has taken down the mask required sign. My allergist's office was the last to do so. I still see a few people with masks, but I assume those are people who have been recently sick or are immunocompromised. I generally don't wear a mask, but did recently when I had a cold. I have been vaccinated and boosted many times and had COVID once, so while I'm still socially distancing, I'm taking my chances. I figure we'll end up getting a COVID shot every year like we do the flu shot.
ReplyDeleteThe signs are still up, but, people aren't required to comply. I am still wearing my mask as I hope that it will continue to give me some protection. Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but, I'm not brave enough to take chances. Yes, assuming they continue to make the vaccines available, I will get vaccinated every year. :)
DeleteHa ha, popcorn for brunch! Sometimes a treat is needed after a needle! I haven't bought chips for a while. The store I prefer doesn't usually do the multiple thing, but for some reason they have priced the large bags of chips with a special for 3 or pay the regular price and I don't like to feel cheated if I only buy one. They are really big bags, so I would feel embarrassed at buying 3 (especially if my doctor was anywhere around - salt anyone?). I used to buy the smaller bags of kettle cooked chips, thinking they were healthier, but one day I compared labels and was shocked to find that the regular type were lower in salt and fat! (but the bags are bigger - can't win, can we?)
ReplyDeleteI read in one of the Little House books (by Laura Ingalls Wilder) about having popcorn and milk for breakfast - presumably, plain, unsalted, unbuttered popcorn - I figure it wasn't that far removed from having cornflakes and milk.
DeleteYes, the grocery store often has multiple buys sales on chips and snacks. It's a great price per bag, but, you must buy 3 or 4! I might buy a bag of potatoes next time and make my own chips! :)
That's good you felt able to go shopping in the dollar store and I'm sure the popcorn tasted really good. I hope you are still feeling OK after your booster. I had mine yesterday and woke with cramp in my left leg this morning and a slight headache. I felt tired too but after a relaxing bath I slept on the sofa until mid-day, the jabs always give me unpleasant side effects. I'm finally feeling more human now at 4 p.m.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen; the popcorn did taste good!
DeleteI'm sorry you had cramps and other side effects from the booster jab; glad you had a nap and that helped. Hope you continue to feel better; make sure you drink plenty of fluids, too.
I slept well and am feeling OK, this morning; my arm is slightly sore at the injection site. I'm doing laundry, today, as it allows me to feel productive while I mostly sit and be on the computer! :D
Sounds as if things are the same there as here. I still see signs up but very few people wearing masks. Even when I went to the doctor a couple of months ago, she was not masked! Eek!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are still being jabbed - which one did they give you this time? I'm just interested because the side effect of retail therapy seems to be weaker this time!
Yes; my doctor and her assistant didn't wear masks on my last couple of visits, even though the sign on the door says, "Masks required"! The pharmacist who gave me the booster didn't wear a mask, either! Our testing positivity rate has increased from 3.2% to 4.4%, over the last few weeks, but, I suppose, this is the "new normal".
DeleteI've always received the Moderna vaccine; I think the booster is at half strength, which might be why the retail therapy side effect was weaker! :D Although, it might just be the fact that the prices were so high! I just can't bring myself to pay full price on snacks!
Glad the covid booster went well. I should check to see when my next one is due. I hope you don't have any side effects
ReplyDeleteI can't believe the price of chips! I have stopped buying them. If we do buy them I look for store brand alternatives. There are a couple we've tried that we really like a lot better - at half the price!
Thank you, Sharon. My arm is a little sore at the injection site and I'm feeling a little headachy (but that might be due to the weather and the high pollen count), but, otherwise, I don't have any side effects.
DeleteYes, chips and other snacks are expensive unless the store is having a multiple buy sale (some items are on sale for $2.29/bag, this week, but, you have to buy 4 bags!) I ordered a 5lb. bag of potatoes with my grocery order for less than what one big bag of chips would have cost me; I will slice a couple of potatoes and make my own chips!
I'm glad that you're feeling okay after your booster. I don't even know if they are still offering them here. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. They were encouraging people who are 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised to take this "spring" booster. I wanted to take it in May, but, I had too many medical appointments, etc., that I decided to wait until June. I'm glad I got it, though, and am starting to feel that it might be OK to venture out a bit, fully masked, of course. :)
DeleteAgain I find it interesting the differences in the different parts of the US concerning Covid. In Delaware there are no more advertisements or talk of it. The Governor, following all surrounding states Governors, has declared it is over and removed all federal and state programs related to it. All mask mandates have been removed as well for months. Life has returned to "normal".
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa. Our mask mandates have been removed, as well, and Covid is no longer considered to be an emergency because the case numbers are down to a level that the hospitals are not overwhelmed. But, the Covid virus has not gone away and it is still mutating and will continue to do so. I still wear a mask and I got the booster because I feel the need to protect myself to the best of my abilities. "Prevention is better than a cure" and all that. My health is such that if I get Covid (or the flu or pneumonia) I might end up in the hospital with all kinds of complications. So, I do what I can to prevent that from happening. I get a flu vaccine and a pneumonia vaccine on a regular basis and I will get a Covid vaccine/booster as long as they are made available. If I still get sick after doing all that, well, then, that is fate, I suppose. :) At least I won't have any regrets that I didn't take advantage of the preventive measures that were available to me!
DeleteOh good. I am glad you got your booster. We got ours a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd you popped into the Dollar Store continuing with that side affect of needing to shop that afflicts you after your shots lol
You were able to get your popcorn - 3 years being way too long to go without popcorn ;) And they've made those bags much smaller so eating an entire one is a piece of cake. (Speaking of cake -Did you have some cake after your popcorn?)
Thank you, Debra. Yes, the shopping side effect is still there! :D I did have a piece of cake - for dessert, after dinner! :D
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